Sports

Despite being just 15, Billy Sawyer had fallen victim to a heart attack — a condition which some experts believe could be underestimated in young people.

Billy Sawyer the Survivor

Billy said he felt “a bit dizzy” after placing fourth in the 100m race at his school athletics carnival on Wednesday but went on to compete in the long jump “without any problems”.

“I remember lining up for the 200m and I have a vague image in my head of running but that’s all I remember … Then I woke up in hospital,” Billy said.

He ran but as he crossed the line, Billy collapsed face-first on the ground in front of shocked students and onlookers.

Mr Lawicki, the Year 10 PE teacher at St Peter’s Catholic College Tuggerah Lakes, ran to help and found Billy convulsing on the ground.

But the situation turned “very serious” when Billy stopped breathing, the colour drained from his face and Mr Lawicki — a first-aid and resuscitation trainer with years of experience — could not find a pulse.

“I launched into (CPR) aggressively, that’s the way we teach it, you’re better off doing something than nothing,” he said.

Mr Lawicki managed to get Billy’s heart started again and breathing and he was flown to The Children’s Hospital, Westmead. Billy has undergone a series of tests and has more to come as teams of neurological and cardiovascular experts try and pin down exactly what sparked the collapse.

Heading the investigation is his doctor, Dr Yew Wee Chua, who said it appeared Billy didn’t have a heart attack in the conventional sense — it was more an interference with the “electrical conduction of the heart”.

“The good thing his teacher Mr Lawicki could do CPR,” Dr Chua said yesterday.

Professor of medicine at the George Institute and Sydney University Vlado Perkovic said while heart attacks in young people were rare, they were not unheard of.

International studies estimated the risk of cardiac arrest in young people at about one in 100,000.

Professor Perkovic said heart attacks were often the cause of sudden and unexpected deaths in young people but went undiagnosed and the cause of death incorrectly attributed to a head injury or other coinciding condition.

Michael Darlington 60, of Miranda, counts his blessings each day. He suffered cardiac arrest as he played touch football at Old Bush Road Oval, Yarrawarrah, last May 8.

With medical help minutes away, it was up to his teammates and bystanders to keep him alive.

Mr Darlington’s team had just scored a try moments into the second half when the father-of-three collapsed on the field.

“We got back on the field in the second half and I don’t remember anything about it,” he said.

Brett Thatcher, of Engadine, who was playing in Mr Darlington’s team, was the first person to see he was in trouble.

“I thought he’d fallen over and bumped his head,” Mr Thatcher said. “He had shallow breathing but was still conscious.”

In seconds the situation changed and Mr Darlington lost consciousness.

Mr Thatcher began mouth-to-mouth and Matthew Wallis, of Kirrawee, started compressions. They worked tirelessly for six minutes as Peter Ciccia, of Kirrawee, spoke to emergency services through triple-0.

“We got him back twice, so we knew it was working,” Mr Thatcher said.

Across the oval, Matt Alewood and Matt Henson were playing in another game when they saw the commotion.

Both trained in CPR, they took over giving Mr Darlington another seven minutes of resuscitation and chest compressions.

“Mike’s colour started coming back,” Mr Henson said.

When David Stride and Scott McNamara arrived in the ambulance they knew the chances of Mr Darlington surviving were slim.

“I saw the boys doing CPR at the back of the oval and I just told them to keep going,” Mr McNamara said.

“The odds are always against you when someone goes into cardiac arrest but good CPR buys us time and saves lives.”

Mr Darlington had to be shocked with a defibrillator before his heart rhythm returned. He was taken to Sutherland Hospital and had surgery to remove an artery blockage.

After five weeks off work and months of rehabilitation Mr Darlington has made a remarkable recovery. “It was a life-changing event,” he said. “I can’t thank the boys and the paramedics enough.”

“The last thing I remember, there was a scramble toward the opposing side of the field and so I had to take off, turn on the fire burners, so to speak, to keep up with the girls and they told me I fell mid-field, so I only ran about 25 yards, collapsed,” said Gil.

A referee for 11 years and a Latin dance instructor, Gil considered himself to be in great shape. But none of that mattered that day.

Certified athletic trainer and University of South Carolina graduate student Shea deWeber rushed onto the field from the sidelines.

“We resuscitated him using CPR, we put the AED on him, and delivered one shock,” said deWeber. “After that, his vitals came back and he seemed to be stable until EMS arrived.”

“Everybody sees us taping ankles and looking at a shoulder during a football game. What they don’t see is that we are educated to help out in emergency situations,” said head athletic trainer Karen Edwards.

deWeber acted immediately, relying on his training. Several USC undergrads assisted and two nurses who were sitting in the stands came to his aide.

“I didn’t do anything special, anything different than any other athletic trainer would have done in my situation,” said deWeber.

Gil is grateful.

“There was one artery 100 percent blocked, there was another one, 90 percent blocked and another one was 75 percent blocked,” said Gil.

Four days later, he had a triple bypass.

“They said there was really nothing I could have done to prevented it, that it was genetics,” said Gil.

A soccer ball signed by the team now serves as a reminder of what could have been.

“I really appreciate the fact that I have another chance to do something in life,” said Gil. “I was gone. There was 15 minutes, no heartbeat. If there hadn’t been an AED, the defibrillator on the field, you wouldn’t be able to talk to me today. I wouldn’t be here.”

In 62 games this season before Monday, Peverley had seven goals and 23 assists.

He was acquired last July from Boston with forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Ryan Button for forwards Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith and Matt Fraser, and defenseman Joe Morrow.

‘The first thing (Peverley) asked me was how much time was left in the first period,’ Ruff said.

The Stars went to the airport after the postponement, and even had a scheduled departure for St. Louis that was earlier than it would have been if the game was played. Dallas is scheduled to play the Blues on Tuesday night.

‘He’s going to be OK,’ Ruff said. ‘The care he’s getting and the care going forward is the most important thing.’